Photos

Comments

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  Joost Daalder July 10, 2011 at 2:25pm

  It looks at least vaguely Arabic to me, Luda, but - it seems - artistically arranged. I really don't know about about the language, script, or calligraphy, to say much that makes sense. I have no doubt however that it is meant to come across as Islamic. It looks as though it is incised by hand in the sgraffito manner, and from the incised areas and the whole in the top I would suspect the material is glass - but I am very much judging from a photograph, and feel on uncertain ground in any case. There will no doubt be others who can tell us more (I am always far better on pieces I have some real knowledge of than those that are outside my ken - and I am certainly not a beads expert).
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  Stefany Tomalin July 10, 2011 at 5:00pm

  if you read Jamey Allen's very thorough blog message about amber, etc. you will learn that its most unlikely that amber or copal could be engraved like this. The bead looks to me like the wonderful vintage umbrella handle plastic which is often made into special prayer beads in Turkey.

  What is really fascinating is the script-like markings! Maybe someone we know can read it?

   
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  Joost Daalder July 10, 2011 at 10:37pm

  Luda, - I must confess that I had not noticed that you were thinking of "copal amber" as the material when I said it might be glass. I agree with Stefany that copal is unlikely, and my mind would not have gone in that direction at all. Is that what you were told?? Looking more closely, I am less inclined to think of glass too - but Stefany's idea that it could be plastic seems not implausible, particularly given the colour(s), although I do wonder why, in that case, the orange is so varied in colour. The interest, in any case, lies in the work, not the material!
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  SARAH CORBETT July 11, 2011 at 8:12am

  To my eye the material used looks to be exactly as Stefany described.

  Warmest Wishes Sarah x
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  Joost Daalder July 11, 2011 at 8:22am

  I agree, really: what Stefany says makes good sense, and particularly in view of the use of umbrella handle plastic for the production of prayer beads. That means that the most obvious solution would be that the same material was used in this instance, and I see no evidence incompatible with that idea.
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  kim price July 14, 2011 at 8:42pm

  ...although many old plastics were used in the production of such useful things as umbrella handles, bakelite was one of the most popular.  I have bought many old "amber" beads that are in my oipinion, bakelite. When bakelite is rubbed to warm, it has a very distinct smell, one way to tell....
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  Joost Daalder July 14, 2011 at 10:11pm

  Hi Kim, - This view about the smell of bakelite is shared by many, so probably is quite valid. It is also a very good, durable and attractive material among the early plastics. And it was indeed used an awful lot. It has now become very, very collectible in its own right, with many specialist collectors, and by no means all of them jewellery lovers!!

   
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  kim price July 14, 2011 at 10:19pm

  :-)  yes Joost bakelite is lovely and very special in its own right, I have a nice collection of that also!  ;-) I started in the 80's when it was affordable and more abundant...
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  Joost Daalder July 14, 2011 at 10:59pm

  You did well, Kim, starting buying bakelite at so early a date. Prices have risen massively since the 80s, as I am sure you will have seen! At that time people were generally inclined to argue simply that plastic was plastic, whereas now there are sharp distinctions made, where possible.
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  Luda Hunter July 15, 2011 at 12:04am

  Kim...I have been warming and rubbing this bead to my hearts content, and you are right....it has a very strong distinct smell. I also pulled out a strand 'African Amber Bakelite Beads' I purchased some time ago, which were incredibly expensive and these too also have the same smell, so you may be correct. Unfortunately I am non the wiser regarding the markings.